


Daddy or Papa?

by anadelonge



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Parents, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 04:44:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5525819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anadelonge/pseuds/anadelonge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maxwell and Zlatan decided to challenge each other to know who were the best parent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Daddy or Papa?

**Author's Note:**

> This story didn't come out the way I originally wanted, but I really didn't know how to write it better so yeah.
> 
> Betaed by Niv <3

“Dadah...”

“SEE! I knew I was the best!”

Zlatan and Maxwell were challenging each other to know who the best dad was. They’ve been with Nina for almost a year, and raising her really had brought them closer than ever, but one day they were watching videos of kids challenging their parents to know which one knew them best and thought they could do the same. Nina was only a toddler, though, and couldn’t exactly ask those questions to them, so they decided to challenge each other to discover who the baby loved more.

A certain night, after dinner, Zlatan picked Nina up and went to the living room where Maxwell was already watching TV. He lowered the volume as they joined him on the couch, so they could start asking her questions and finally get the answer they were looking for, once and for all.

“Both of us can be the dad, in that case…” Maxwell argued.

“Okay, let’s try it again. Nina, who’s the best dad? He’s the papa and I’m the _daddy_.” Zlatan stressed the last word in a slow and funny way.

“Dadah…” Nina repeated his last word, showing them that cute toothless smile.

“That’s unfair; you already knew she would say that.” Maxwell pouted, crossing his arms.

“Honey, I think it’s time for you to learn how to lose.” Zlatan used his free hand to pat Maxwell’s back.

“Only if you stop cheating.”

“I’ve never cheated!” Zlatan gasped. “You just can’t accept the truth.”

“Okay, so now _I’m_ the daddy and you’re the papa.” Maxwell gave him a smug smile.

“No! You’re gonna mess with her head. She already knows I’m the daddy, you cannot change that. What about that, let’s see who can make her laugh first, then probably it’s her favorite.”

“Well, I’m sure I’m gonna win this one. I reckon she’s afraid of that enormous thing in your face you call a nose and that terrifying sharky smile; if you come closer to her she’s gonna cry.”

“Right, and you’re much better with all that fur in places I didn’t even know it was possible to grow.” Zlatan retorted, visibly shaken up by that nasty remark about his beautiful face.

“You never complained…”

“ _Fine!_ So let’s move away from her and see who she crawls to.”

They got up from the couch and Zlatan put Nina down on the carpet. Then, they sat across her, only a few feet away, so she could crawl faster towards her favorite dad. They called her name, whistled at her, clapped their hands, moved their arms in all directions, but the only reaction they got were a confused look from the baby.

“That’s not working.”

“Well, I have a last resort.”

Ibra reached for the hair elastic holding his ponytail up and pulled it down, swinging his head and whipping his smooth hair, as though he were in a L’Oreal commercial. The effect was immediate: the baby started moving toward him, hypnotized by that bright, long dark hair. To be honest, even Maxwell felt the impulse to crawl toward the man, and it took him a lot to stay put where he were. She reached her tiny hands up and Zlatan picked her up, her eyes still fixed in his glorious hair. When she felt safe enough to stand up on his lap, she held up her hand again, this time towards her favorite toy, which happened to be Zlatan’s hair.

“Ouch, I know you like my hair, but you don’t need to pull it out of my head.” Zlatan laughed.

Maxwell looked at them with a mix of happiness and fear. He was glad to see their bond: a father playing with his kid, making her smile and making her feel safe. But, at the same time, he feared he didn’t belong there, and felt the sudden urge to leave the room.

“Congratulations, you won. You’re the best dad after all.” Maxwell said in a melancholic voice and got up, moving away from them.

“Hey, where are you going?” Zlatan asked confused.

“It doesn’t matter, does it? Just enjoy your victory. I’m going to take a walk.”

“Come on, babe, don’t be like that. Come here.” Zlatan tapped the floor beside him.

“Nah, it’s okay. You’re the best dad anyway; it seems she’s better off without me.” Maxwell turned around and was about to leave the room when Zlatan called him again.

“Okay, you were right. Maybe I cheated a little.” Maxwell stopped and turned around, because he really wasn’t used to hear his husband admitting he was wrong. They didn’t use to argue a lot, but he couldn’t remember one single time Zlatan saying someone else other than himself was right. “But you know how obsessed I am at being the best at everything. And I’ve always had the feeling she loved you more because you’re all sweet and cute, while I’m just a big guy who doesn’t know how to deal with babies.”

“Of course you do.” Maxwell slowly got closer and sat in front of them. “If you didn’t, she wouldn’t be in your lap right now.”

“Yeah, but I had to trick her because that’s the only way to make her choose me. If she could understand what we were asking for, she would come to you in no time.”

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”

“Of course not. Do you really think I would say I was wrong if I weren’t?”

They both laughed because it was true.

“You know what, that was a stupid challenge. You’re not the best dad and neither am I. That’s because _we_ are the best dads. Us, together.” Zlatan used his free hand to hold Maxwell’s and caress it. “Maybe you’re not the best at changing diapers, but you sure know exactly what she wants when she cries. And I’m not the one who wakes up when she cries at night, but I always try to make her laugh and feel safe with us. She’s such a lucky kid for having both of us as parents.”

Maxwell looked at the brown-eyed man, the man that he promised to love until death tore them apart, and knew exactly why he had married him. Everyone would say he’s just a selfish man that doesn’t care about anything, but he always knew that wasn’t true. Zlatan knew how to be caring and loving not only with him, but also with Nina. At first, he had been a little scared of raising a tiny human being that would be totally dependent of them, but Zlatan was the one to assure him they would be capable of doing it. He was right, Zlatan had never woken up when she cried at night, but when Maxwell came back to bed after having calmed her down, he wouldn’t stop asking a zillion questions about her well-being until Max would calm _him_ down, telling him she was fine.

“You’re right, I think I just overreacted. There’s no such thing as a best parent.” Maxwell admitted. “But, to be fair, I have to say: you are the best at changing her diapers.”

“Oh, _that_ 's a thing I can brag about!” Zlatan barely had time to smile when a concerned expression took over his face. “Uh-oh.”

“What?”

“That's what I call timing. I think she’s giving you a chance to win that new challenge.” Zlatan lifted the baby from his lap, both of them looking at that now heavy diaper.

“No way, it's your turn.”

“Come on, it’s your time to prove you’re better than me.” Zlatan smiled so hard that his eyes were only two horizontal lines.

“Yeah, I think I can accept that failure. Besides, you have to make it up to me.”

“I thought you wanted me to make it up to you later.”

“Oh yeah, I do. But now, go change her. You know, maybe you can find your ‘Best Dad’ trophy in there.” Maxwell pointed to her diaper.

Zlatan scowled at that thought.

“What do you think, I change her, put her to sleep and then we take a shower together?”

“Nothing to complain about.”

“And we could also take the opportunity to try that new razor for ultra sensitive skin-“

“Not gonna happen.” Maxwell interrupt him and laughed.

“I didn’t say it was for you. Anyway, worth a try.” Zlatan shrugged as he made his way towards the bedroom to change Nina.

“Babe?” Maxwell called him out of nowhere.

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, teddy bear.”


End file.
